A Matter of Trust
by TheAmazingCat
Summary: Trust can be easily broken, but for Rose it can't be easily fixed. What will she do when she faces the realization that the Doctor is to reckless to be trusted with her child's life? *Cover by Emilie Brown.* Crossover with Torchwood Season One.
1. Chapter 1

**Ok so this story is here for a lot of reasons. I really hate GITF afterward fics that clear everything up by saying the Doctor wasn't in love with Madame De Pompadour, in my opinion it doesn't matter whether he loved her or not, the Doctor acted foolishly and recklessly and clearly endangered the lives of two people he was supposed to protect, and that in my opinion would cause both of them to hold little trust for him. Another thing is how he treats his companions; he insults them and ignores them when they're in need of his help.**

**This story is based on the idea that Bad Wolf changed Rose to be more TARDIS and Time Lord like, and that Rose and the Doctor had been in an intimate relationship since sometime in his ninth incarnation.**

**Another thing, there is to be no Madame De Pompadour bashing in this fic. I am a huge lover of history, and she was completely destroyed by Steven Moffat's work but I hold too much respect for the actual woman herself to actually hate her.**

**Please comment and review. I want to make this story as believable as possible; unfortunately I live in the U.S. and do not have a British accent or know British terms. Please don't hate me for that, I'll try my best to look up British terms but if anyone wants to help that would be great.**

**A Matter of Trust**

**Chapter One**

"Did you love her?" Rose Tyler asked the Doctor.

She had shown Mickey around like he had asked but he eventually went off to his room, to relax, today's events had been stressful to say the least. Rose went into the room she has shared with the Doctor for over 6 months now, she sat on the bed; trying her best not to think of the day's events. Knowing that if she thought of them a hard truth would be realized. That she couldn't trust him, it wasn't that he didn't love her, or she didn't love him. She just couldn't trust him, not with something so important.

When the Doctor finally did appear, she asked him the question before he got through the Doctor.

"Rose." He started off,

"No, it's a yes or no question." Rose stated

"No, Rose I didn't. Well that isn't to say I didn't care for her at all. She was brilliant, would be like meeting a famous movie star to you. But I didn't know her, not really, popping into someone's life ever couple years or so doesn't mean you know them. Too be honest I don't fit in with royalty too much, King Louis probably would have chopped my head off by the end of the week."

"So all of this," she shook her hand in the air. "You were just you being reckless. You didn't even love her."

Rose stood up shaking her head back and forth. The Doctor didn't know what to say, he had hoped once he told Rose this, that things would be ok. Clearly they weren't.

"Rose." The Doctor said looking at her, she was muttering to herself.

"It would have been better if you at least loved her, people do stupid things while they're in love. But no, this is just you being irresponsible. If it were just me…" Rose trailed off, clutching her stomach feeling sick.

"If it were just you? What does that mean?" The Doctor began to move to stand near Rose.

"You didn't just leave me on that spaceship." She said quietly,

"I know that… Mickey was with you." He said his hands rubbing the back of his neck.

"Not just Mickey."

"Not just Mickey? Do you mean the TARDIS?" He questioned clearly confused.

"No Doctor. I mean, I'm pregnant. You left behind you unborn child on spaceship to die." Rose finally yelled from frustration

"You're… but you can't…" His eyes shot down towards Rose's still flat stomach.

"Yeah. Thanks for that one, 'we don't need protection Rose My superior biology is too complex for you humans Rose.' If it had been anybody else I would have hit them over the head but it was you and I trusted you!"

The Doctor sat down on the bed. Judging by his eyes he was clearly in shock.

"Well aren't you going to say anything?" Rose said tears of frustration leaving her eyes.

The Doctor jumped up at her, fury in his eyes.

"What would you have me say? It isn't very nice to find out that not only the woman you lo… care about cheated on you but to find out that she's pregnant from said affair."

Rose slapped him hard against the face, a slap that rivaled Jackie Tyler's. The Doctor looked at Rose for what she had done. Rose herself looked shocked at what she had done to the Doctor, though her fury covered up the shock quickly.

"You rotten bastard, if there's been anybody cheating in this relationship than it has been on your side of the relationship.

"Is that so?" The Doctor questioned still furious with his lover.

"Yeah, who was it that came back all drunk and extremely happy from "Dancing" with Madame De Pompadour. And now you claim that I cheated." Rose was now remembering what counselors in school had told her, which was that cheaters will always accuse their partner of cheating, as a form of deflecting the guilt that they feel.

"Rose, don't lie, you had to have slept with someone else, its literally impossible. I wasn't the first Time Lord to be with a human, the only way they could have children was with extremely outside help." He said grabbing her by the shoulders.

"Well believe it, because I am, and I haven't once slept with anyone else besides you since I stepped foot on the TARDIS."

He grabbed her arm and dragged her with him "Let go of me." She said trying to halt him "Where are we going." Questioned Rose once they got into the corridors.

"The Med Bay, we're going clear this up."

Once they were in the Med Bay, the Doctor went about getting equipment ready. It took him ages to find the equipment. Rose sat on one of Med Bay beds.

He finally came back with what looked like a sonogram machine.

"Now I don't keep many future devices for pregnancy, but this I do have, it's a 24th century sonogram device, much better than your 21st ones. Lie down and lift up your shirt." He said to her as he got the machine ready. He sat on a chair beside the bed.

He put the cold gel on her stomach and pressed the sonogram device on her lower abdomen.

"Well were just going to clear this up." He said, not bothering to look at the screen, his eyes still holding fury in them and a little bit of sadness.

Rose watched as her baby appeared on the screen, she then heard the double heartbeat, her own leaped. The Doctor's face shot up.

"No… No… it can't, how." He just stared.

"Believe me now. I can't believe you accused me of lying after what you just did."

"Rose." He started to apologize. "I'm sorry, but you have to understand, this is impossible." He said as he put away the sonogram device and handed Rose a towel to clean her stomach up. She sat up. He ran his fingers through his hair.

"You know what Doctor, I don't even care anymore. I just want you to take me home right now."

"Of course, you want to see your mother right now. Quick visit there, but first…"

"No Doctor not just a quick visit, I'm going home for good." She said

"What." He said genuinely surprised.

"Doctor, you're reckless, especially this new you, and yes I know you're the same man but the fact is that you left me to die on a spaceship thousands of years into my own future."

"I was coming back, and I did." The Doctor stated,

"Only by luck; you didn't even know the name of the ship." Rose said sadly

"Rose… I would… I…" He stammered

"Just admit it, you weren't coming back. I want to go home Doctor."

He suddenly was bouncing around the Med Bay getting bits and bobs.

"This is madness, you're not thinking straight. We still have to run tests to figure out how far along you are and how you even got pregnant. Now Rose, I am going to need a bit of your DNA, so if you would be so kind…"

"Doctor." She yelled. He looked over to her nervously. "I'm going home, run all the tests you like, afterwards take me home."

"But… But…"

"You haven't even said you're sorry, for leaving me, for treating me so horribly." Rose thought out loud

"I am sorry." The Doctor insisted

"That's a hollow apology and you know it." Rose said

"You can't… this… you're not thinking straight. It must be all the hormones." The Doctor muttered

"You can keep telling yourself that." At that the Doctor looked her in the eyes and said.

"Rose, I know, I know I screwed this up, I am sorry, even more sorry then you can possibly ever understand."

"Do you? Do you really understand what you did today? How you played God with someone's life. You made that woman think that you loved her; she spent her whole life dreaming of you and not once did you set her straight. That's because you like it so much don't you Doctor, you love to be thought of as this God like creature to be admired and loved by all." Rose said furiously

"You want to know the worst part; it wasn't that you left to go save her. That I understand that's who you are. The worst part was how you treated me, like I wasn't worthy to walk on the same ground as you. Insulting me after I nearly had my head cut open by Clockwork men, did you ask me if I was alright? No you start insulting me. On top of coming back all love drunk off some whore's..." The Doctor then grabbed Rose by the shoulders

"That's enough. Rose, you're better than this. I'm sorry if that's how it seemed to you…"

"IF THAT'S HOW IT SEEMED!?" Rose yelled and shook him off her. He looked very scared.

"Rose, I didn't sleep with… I'm… I'm only in Lo… I care about you greatly you must know that."

"Really, how? It's not like you show it. Ever since you regenerated you've been distancing yourself from me, even before that, sent me back home was the last thing old you ever did. You can't claim to love me, because you don't love." Rose said crying "Or you don't understand it. Maybe it's a Time Lord thing or maybe it's a you thing but you don't know what love is Doctor. Leaving people behind like they were toys to you to be picked up and played with at will. That isn't love" She said rather calmly

Rose lay back down on the bed. The Doctor finally began to realize that he was losing this fight.

"All I know is that my child deserves a better father than you could ever be." Rose said cruelly, staring at the ceiling; she refused to look the Doctor in the eye. If she looked at him now she'd crumble.

She keeps telling herself over and over in her head that this was for her baby; her baby needs a responsible parent and the universe needs the Doctor so it would have to be her. The realization hit the Doctor square in the chest and both his hearts cracked. She was going to leave him.

The TARDIS gave some much need comfort to Rose's mind, she mentally thanked the Ship.

"You'd take him from me?" He said referring to the unknown gender as male.

"I'll protect him from you." Rose corrected. "From being abandoned by you."

The Doctor just stared at her for a while, then all his walls of protection came up and he looked away and became stony and silent.

"I need a blood sample to look at your DNA and to measure out the pregnancy. It shouldn't be too much longer than a normal human pregnancy."

"Do you think you could give me the number to those UNIT people, they'd be able to help me get doctors and stuff for the pregnancy?" She said as he took a vial of blood from her. He hesitantly touched her skin. He nodded.

"I'm going to go back to my room now to pack." Rose said

The Doctor just nodded as she left. Not daring to look at her. If Rose had looked back she would have noticed the tears leaking from the Doctor's eyes.

As she was packing she heard at her door, she hoped it wasn't the Doctor

"It's Mickey, can I come in babe?" He questioned

"Yeah." She shouted

Mickey entered the room and saw the state of her almost packed up room.

"You leaving?" He questioned

"I can't stay." She said

"Look, he screwed up he knows it, as much as I hate to admit it he loves you."

"This isn't about love. Mickey, I'm pregnant." She said sadly and sat on the edge of her bed. "I have to leave don't you understand? He can't settle down, he can never settle down and I don't want to force him too."

"But Rose…"

"No, it's… it's his nature to be like this, he can't help it. I mean 900 years of picking up and dropping people is hard habit to break ain't it. But the baby, it needs a normal life, one where it doesn't have to worry about its dad leaving him behind."

"What are you going to do?" Mickey asked

Rose shrugged

"I don't know, get a job, an apartment, won't be the first single mum in the world, and won't be the last." She stated

"I'll help you, I'll go with ya." Mickey said putting his arm around her as he sat with her on the bed.

"No, you stay here. He needs someone and you… you deserve to see how great you are cause that's what he does. He shows you how great that you can be. Mickey I was horrible to ya… Just awful. I'm so sorry; you've been great to me." She said hugging him.

"Don't worry about it. Do you want me to help you pack at least?" He said breaking the hug and standing up, Rose mirrored.

"No, No I'll do it myself. I just want to say goodbye for now." She said hugging him again.

She packed all her belongs, hoping she didn't forget anything important. She went to the console room and hoped the Doctor would be there, he wasn't. She dropped her things and went to the Med Bay and he was there, he was hunched over on a chair looking in one of the microscopes.

"Doctor." She said hesitantly

"You're DNA's like the TARDIS now and Time Lord, it's not human anymore." He stated

"What?" She asked confused

"Bad Wolf." He simply stated "Bad Wolf changed you; you're more like me now." He said sadly

"It can't be." Rose said. She still felt human.

"Rose, what's your blood type."

"A positive, why?" She said even more confused

"And why do you think you didn't go up on the roof this Christmas past." He stated again finally turning to look at her, his face stony.

"I… I…"

"You also didn't think it was important enough to tell me about it did you? The TARDIS and Bad Wolf alter your DNA, your cells so you wouldn't ever be like another human being again. He said he voice turning angry.

"I didn't think about it, there was a lot going on at the time."

"Well, that's the reason you're pregnant. Bad Wolf and the TARDIS manipulated your DNA in order to have you with me long… guess they didn't counter in this." He muttered angrily to himself as he took the slides out of the microscopes.

"I'll… I'll take you home now."

He walked out into the console room. Not daring to look back. Rose followed.

He began to talk as he charted his ship through the vortex. "I'll contact UNIT, tell them about you're condition, have them help you. Rose… if there's… if there's anything you need…" The Doctor looks at her and then quickly looked away.

"Yea, here." She said handing him here own phone. "If he ever needs a kidney or something and I can't give it. Here just in case."

"Yea." He said putting the phone in the pocket, the rest of the trip was silent.

"We're here. Bye Doctor." She said and gathered her things and went to leave.

The Doctor finally broke; he jumped and got in front of her.

"Don't go, Rose please don't go." He said clutching her to him "I know what I've done; I'm sorry, so very sorry. Rose… I… I love you don't go."

Rose pulled back and saw that the Doctor had tears of desperation in his eyes.

"Doctor, it's not a matter of love." She said and touched his cheek. "Goodbye." At that the Doctor shook his head.

With that she walks out of the door and Rose Tyler was gone.

**Beta-ed by: Emilie Brown**

**To Be Continued**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ok here's chapter two, this is going to be focusing on the Doctor's side of things, but don't worry Rose's side will be in the next chapter. Not much dialoged in this chapter and it is kind of short but I really want to get into the Doctor's mind a bit. And just so everyone knows, season three will remain the same mostly. Once again I am looking for a beta so if anyone's interested PM me. Oh and be warned lots of guilt in the chapter, very angsty.**

**Hope you enjoy.**

**A Matter of Trust**

**Chapter Two**

The Doctor doesn't really remember what happened after Rose walked out of the TARDIS. It seemed to him as if time had stopped. He went on. He paid the visit to The Brigadier, he was at one time very close to this man and he knew him to be able to help and protect Rose's child. The Doctor refused to think of the child as his own, that would hurt too much. All the while he was piloting, the TARDIS sent calming thoughts. She missed Rose too.

The man had been quiet shocked when the Doctor's TARDIS landed in his living room.

The Doctor stepped out to greet the man, quickly explained to him Rose's situation. How she would need his help, or UNIT's help.

"Please Alistair." He said at the end.

Alistair reluctantly agreed to help; he felt that the Doctor should be the one to help her.

"She won't accept it from me." The Doctor said quickly. "Also, here's" he said writing down something on a piece of paper and pen "Here's my bank account information. I would like you too… well every month take out 2,000 pounds and give it to her. You don't have to worry about it running out of money or something, not ever."

Alistair just looked at the man he admired and nodded.

"Thank you, I can't thank you enough." The Doctor said before departing.

The days drifted for the Doctor, as he took Mickey to all sorts of planets, moons and time periods. The TARDIS had tried convincing the Doctor to go back for Rose but he wouldn't listen. Rose had been right ultimately, the Doctor wasn't meant for Fatherhood. He had been before and look what had happened too them he thought. The only good thing he ever did for his child back on Gallifrey was to take Susan with him. He had abandoned her too. Rose had been right, that's what killed him the most. He would leave them behind, all of them. Not for the reasons of withering and dying as his claim, Susan would have lived longer than him probably, but because that just was who he was.

He thought back to their last adventure, would she have left if it never happened. Madame De Pompadour, there was no denying she was a remarkable woman, attractive as well. But she was also cold, he had seen as much inside her mind. Cold and ambitious, but then again how a woman such as her is able to achieve so much if she wasn't. He wasn't focused on that at the time, but on how she got into his head, that was a very much unwanted side effect of him going into her head. He too was like Rose; he didn't want anyone mucking about inside his head. He couldn't blame her really; she didn't know what she was doing. But still it didn't sit right with him, that was why he had sent Rose to tell her about the Clockwork Droids and not him. He had felt just plain strange just being in her presences afterwards, he couldn't describe it.

He really hadn't given the woman much thought since the letter; he felt pity and guilt mostly towards her. He knew she'd never see the inside of the TARDIS too much was at risk with her being a historical figure, that's why he went through the Time Window instead, he could have easily used the TARDIS. She hadn't been made for this life, that much he was sure of probably would have killed her the first planet they went on. He felt guilt for making that woman a promise he had no intention of keeping, for taking her life away from her, from taking what love she should have given over to the King. He had checked the historical record on her, he had changed things. It no longer mentions the deep and meaningful love that had blossomed between the two. In fact most historians are still shocked that the King kept her around for so long. He felt bad for Louis 15th as well; he took away the love Madame De Pompadour was supposed to feel for him.

Rose had been right, she always was, and he played God with all their lives. He should have set the Madame straight and he certainly shouldn't have treated Rose and Mickey so horribly. He regretted that the most. As he thought, he wonders when the last time he had treated Rose right, probably before… His mind wander to another man, the one he once was, all leather and ears. He never would have left Rose to fend herself off Cassandra and her minion; he never would have insulted her in front of Queen Victoria. He never would have left her; he would have come up with a better plan, one that got them all safely out…_Is this the sort of man I am now? _Well now there were consequences, he had lost Rose. He wondered if he could ever change. If Rose would come back if he…

No he pushed the thoughts from his head. He saw Mickey enter the console room.

"Mickey."

"Need help boss?" He asked

"Yes would you hold that button down there?" He said pointing to a button on the console

"Sure thing, where are we off too today?"

"Don't know; let the TARDIS choose today, bit random, more fun. Listen I've been meaning to tell you…" He trailed off. He was the man who always forgets, who moves on. Could he finally show some remorse?

"What." Mickey asked

"I'm sorry, for how I treated you, on the spaceship. I just want you to know I'm sorry, that won't ever happen again."

Mickey just looked at him for a moment, shocked. Then grinned

"What France on a Spaceship, Scary Clockwork men, Horse on a Ship… well I hope that never happens again." He said lighting up the mood.

And then the Cybermen and the Parallel universe happened. He meets Rickey Smith, Pete Tyler, and Jake Simmons; helped defeat the Cybermen. The Doctor was shocked when Mickey asked to stay. He told him he could never come back, Mickey understood. He couldn't force him back to the other universe. Once again the Doctor was alone.

The TARDIS took him to various places, Queen Elizabeth's Coronation, Televisions, faceless people. A Planet under a Black hole, losing the TARDIS, finding the TARDIS, then the 2012 Olympics.

Finally the Ghost's in London and Torchwood, for once in his life he was glad that Rose hadn't been with him. He met Mickey, Pete, and Jake again. It was all very pleasant seeing them again. He defeated the Daleks and the Cybermen again. When it was all said and done he was alone again, in the TARDIS. He sat on the jump seat looking around the room; he spotted an old shirt of Rose's he hadn't moved. He just stared at it; he didn't dare to touch it. He hadn't been in their room since she left; he wondered if she had left anything else behind?

He began to wonder further what the date had been in London, if Rose had given birth or not. Whether the Child was male or female, did it look more like Rose or him?

He took out of his pocket Rose's phone, looked down at it for a minute. Opened it and checked it for messages, none. His hearts breaks, can she not even bother to send him a text, tell him the child's name or gender. No he realizes. Why should she. It's not like he fought for them.

"I don't deserve to be a father."

He said when suddenly a ginger bride appears before him.

"What!?" He exclaims.

**Beta-ed by: **Emilie Brown

**To Be Continued**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here it is, Chapter three hope you enjoy. For a few chapters it's going to be Rose and Jack. But I love their Friendship so much I just don't mind. I was going to reveal the gender of the child in this chapter but it became too long. Don't worry it will be in the next one. Send me a review to guess what the gender will be. Oh and I have a new Beta her user name's Emilie Brown and she also made the cover for this story. You should check out her work.**

**I look forward to your comments and Reviews.**

**A Matter of Trust**

**Chapter Three**

When Rose walked out of the TARDIS she knew her next steps would not be easy. She made it too her mum's flat but didn't know how she was going to explain it all too her. Rose hadn't given much thought to what the Doctor said before, her being more like the TARDIS and Time Lords then humans. Did that mean she'd have to watch everyone wither and die around her as she stayed young? The thought overwhelmed her, why hadn't she thought to discuss this with the Doctor prior to leaving. How would she raise a Time Lord Child? All these thoughts began to stress her out. She looked back to where the TARDIS had landed, it was already gone.

He never really wanted them anyways. She thought to herself. He never wanted her baby, too domestic. She had to push these thoughts out of hers mind, she was going to be a mum soon, need to start thinking what was best for the baby, and stressing out over the Doctor was not good for the baby.

When she walked in the door, her mum greeted her but then saw all the bags she carried with her.

"You're here to stay aren't ya?" She asked

"Yep." Rose said quietly before putting her belongs in her room.

"Why sweetheart?"

"Mum, I'm… I'm…"Rose said starting to break down

"You're pregnant aren't you?" Rose nodded "He's the Father right?" referring to the Doctor "Does he know?" Rose's head was covered by her hands

"Yes." She said standing up

"He's just abandon ya has he. God damn that man, if I ever see him again."

"Mum, it wasn't his fault, it was more mine to be honest. Humans can't get pregnant by Time Lords."

"Well clearly they can."

"You better sit Mum, I'll explain everything." Rose said to Jackie

After Rose had explained everything, her DNA changing, Madame De Pompadour, and abandoning her on a spaceship Jackie understood better.

"He's just reckless mum, the old him wasn't that bad, still reckless but he'd never just abandon me somewhere like that. He didn't even love the woman. He admitted it to me that he didn't love her. And he allowed that woman's whole life to practically revolve around him, waiting for him, hoping he'd show up and in the end he just left her. How could I raise a child with that kind of a man?" the question was rhetorical

"Can't say I'm not disappointed Rose, I mean are you sure. Can't you and he work it out?"

"He's already gone mum; he doesn't want to work it out. He doesn't want us." Rose admitted and started to cry again.

"Oh dear, come here." Jackie said and pulled her daughter into a warm embrace.

A few days later, there was a knock at the Tyler residences. Rose had been waiting for this, the Doctor had promised that UNIT's help. It was an older man, he looked kind enough.

"Hello, you must be Rose. I'm a friend of the Doctor, Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart." He introduced himself and then shook her hand.

"Rose who's at the door?" Jackie called. She then saw the man "Oh this be them UNIT people you told me about. Well let me tell you this mate, you ain't taken that baby from her. It might be a little alien and all but I won't have my only grandchild be held up by some government agency."

"Mrs. Tyler I assure you that is not my intention at all. Please let us sit." He said ushering them to the living room to sit down.

"Would you like something to drink? Tea? Coffee?" Rose asked

"Ahh, tea would be nice."

"I'll get it Rose." Jackie offered. She did make a good cuppa. The Brigadier and Rose were alone

"I know this a delicate matter; however I have some friends who are willing to help you. In fact quite excited about it indeed, now I used to be in charge of the organization called UNIT, not anymore. Retired, but I still have friends there and elsewhere. I would like to be blunt with you Rose; it's not safe for you to be in London at the moment."

"Why's that?"

"I have it on very good authority that a group known as Torchwood One, which is here in London, is out to hunt down the Doctor and any of his companions. Now you being in the condition that you are… well they might try to use you against him. However I have friends at Torchwood Three they would be willing to help you."

"Torchwood… where have I heard that before? I know I've heard that name before. Queen Victoria, Torchwood estate!" Rose shouted

"Yes, it was created by Queen Victoria and named after the estate in Scotland. Now Torchwood Three would like to offer its help to you."

"Why should I trust them when Torchwood One is trying to hunt down the Doctor?"

"Torchwood three is very different then Torchwood One. Smaller and almost given completely autonomy by the London branch, they monitor the Rift in Cardiff."

"I know about the Rift, been there before."

"Yes, there leader of the branch is a man named, Captain Jack Harkness…"

"Jack!" Rose said, Jackie reentered the room and handed the man his tea.

"Jack… who's Jack? That the Captain one, bit of flirt he was." Jackie said

"Yea, I know Jack, we travelled together."

"Well the Captain was extremely interested in helping you. He's taking care of things, for you to have a smooth move to Cardiff."

"You're moving to Cardiff." Jackie exclaimed

"Correction, we are moving to Cardiff." Rose said

"Me…why do I have to move?"

"It wouldn't be safe madam. If Torchwood One found out about your existence it could be very harmful to both Rose and the Doctor."

"But, I have a job, friends. What will I do in Cardiff?"

"Jack is also setting that up, Jobs, new identities."

"I'm sorry sir but we don't have the money to move all the way…" Jackie started

"Which is why I brought this." He said handing Rose a piece of paper. A check for 2,000 pounds.

"I can't accept this from you." Rose said

"It's not from me, it's from the Doctor, and once a month you'll get another one. He's set up a bank account with funds in it."

Rose sighed to herself. The money was helpful yes, but Rose couldn't help feeling dirty accepting it and all the other help the Doctor had provide for her.

"Ok, when do we leave?" Rose questioned

Early in the morning, a weeks' time later Jackie and Rose were on a train to Cardiff, a moving van had left the day previous to have their things there when they arrived. According to Alistair, Jack would be at the station when they arrived. Jackie was taking a nap; this gave Rose some much needed time to think.

She put her hand on her stomach; she hadn't given much thought to the baby growing within her. She'd been too busy with other things. Leaving the Doctor, moving from the Estates, Mickey she thought. He wouldn't know where they'd gone. She needs to get a new phone and text him where'd they gone. She hoped he was alright. The Doctor would tell her if anything happened to him wouldn't he?

She was happy to be seeing Jack. She had so many questions, why's he here in the 21st Century for one. Did they abandon him or had the Doctor been telling her the truth. How'd he get involved with Torchwood? So many questions, but she was still excited to see her old friend. She knew she could trust these Torchwood people if Jack was involved with them. He wouldn't put her in danger.

She finally fell asleep. She had been awfully tired the past couple of days, she blamed that on the pregnancy. When they finally arrived in Cardiff, she saw the familiar looking handsome Captain; he was even wearing his old World War Two coat.

"Rose." Jack exclaimed greeting her with a hug.

"Jack… you look great." She was unsure what to say to him, does he hate her for them abandoning him?

"I guess I do."

"Mrs. Tyler." He said flirtatiously and shook her hand.

"None of that on me, Pretty boy, now where's this apartment I've been hearing about. I hate being cramped up on trains."

"Follow me." He said walking them to a car.

"We'll talk after we got you all settled in" Jack said looking at Rose

It didn't take them long to arrive at their new apartment. It was very normal looking, certainly steps up from the Estates but not too posh. Their furniture had already arrived and was set up. Jackie went to her room to settle in.

It was a townhouse really, with an upstairs and downstairs. The first floor was very open in nature, a small kitchen to the right of the front door. A small dining room, which connected to the living room. It had a laundry room to left of the front door. The upstairs held the Loo and three bedrooms, one which would serve as the baby's room.

_The Baby_. This was actually really happening, she had left the Doctor, and she had done something so stupid as to leave him all on his own. She felt sick, dizzy and lightheaded.

"Whoa Rose." Jack said holding her by the arm. He led her to a chair in the dining room.

"I left him Jack, I really left him." She said as the realization finally came to her.

"Shhh, calm down."

"I didn't even have time to think about it, I just did it, and oh I said horrible things, such horrible things." She started to shake and tears began to form in her eyes.

"Rose you need to calm down; do you want to tell me what happened?" Jack said patting her back and hair.

"Oh Jack. We left you too didn't we? He abandoned you too."

"How'd you figure?" Jack asked, he meant the question to be rhetorical.

"He does it too all of us, all his companions, his assistants. He just leaves us behind. He doesn't care how much he hurts us, he just moves on. I've met another one, her name was Sarah Jane; he left her behind, just chuck the TARDIS. Didn't even leave her in her proper city, left her stranded miles from where he left her." Rose talked very fast she wasn't sure Jack heard her all.

"I woke up on satellite five, after facing down a few Daleks. Rose do you know happened to me, did he tell you?"

Rose shook her head. "Na, he just said you were rebuilding the earth. Oh, I should have known, I should have asked him… Jack I'm so sorry." Tears were streaming down her face, and she hugged Jack fiercely

"It's ok Rose, had to live through the twentieth century and bit of the nineteenth but it could have been worse." Jack joked, Rose was taken aback.

"But… Jack that would make you over a hundred years old…. Oh no you're like me now aren't you? You're part TARDIS-Time Lord like me."

"Like you? What!? Rose what are you saying?"

"The Doctor before I left tried to explain it, I barely even listened; too concerned with other things. He said though, that I had been changed."

"How?"

"I looked into the heart of the TARDIS."

"What does that mean?" Jack asked

"I don't know really, he never was one for explaining things. He just told me that I took the power of the time vortex into my head and killed all the Daleks. Tell me what happened to you."

Jack went on to explain his situation to Rose. He had hoped she would be able to give him some answers but even though she couldn't it was still fantastic to see his onetime best friend.

He explained waking up alone on satellite five, living through the nineteenth century and the twentieth. He told her about being immortal, of coming back to life several time. He told her of Torchwood, how he's helped to keep the Doctor hidden from them for years.

"I went back to your place in the 90s." he said with a smile. "Saw you as a kid, couldn't keep away. I mean it was just so sudden you know. One minute we were all so happy traveling through time and space and then you guys were gone. Without a second glance." Jack said sadly.

"I'm sorry Jack, if I had known. If I had realized…" Rose wonder aloud, but what could she had done.

"It's alright. Do you want to tell me why you left, especially with little one on the way?"

She opened up too Jack. The Doctor's regeneration, which had frightened her terribly, his consistent abandonment, on New Earth and with Queen Victoria, she told him about meeting Sarah Jane. Then finally she told him about France on a Spaceship.

"And he just left you and Mickey to die on Spaceship? Both of you? For another woman!?" Jack was astonished to say the least.

"He didn't even love her. He told me so; he compared her too meeting a movie star." She nervously giggled. "She spent her whole life loving him, and he didn't return it. He used her, played God with her life. He was just being reckless. I couldn't raise a child with a man like that. Oh then it got worse."

"How so?" Jack said

"When I told him, he… he accused me of having an affair, of cheating on him. Like I was the one cheating. He told me he didn't sleep with the Madame, but I don't know if I believe him." She said wiping tears from her eyes.

"I'm sorry Rose." Jack said

"It's not your fault. It's just who he is. I had just thought, well I'd hoped that he would come after me. Chase after me you know, like I did for him." Rose said sadly. Jack gave her a sympatric look.

"But now I'm here, and I want to focus on this new life. So start up, Alistair told me you have new identifications for us, so Torchwood One doesn't find us." She said faking a smile

She didn't want to focus on the Doctor anymore.

"Yep." He said pulling his brief case on to the table and taking out a folder.

"Now here is yours."

It was a birth certificate It said Alice Rose Gardiner born September 23 1986 London England.

There were driver's licenses and school papers, as well.

"Here's Jackie's."

It read Eva Jacqueline Gardiner born November 15th 1967, London England.

"Now you both have just moved here from London, due to your exciting new job."

"My new job?" Rose asked confused

"Rose what would you say to working for Torchwood?"

**Beta-ed by: **Emilie Brown

**To Be Continued**


	4. Chapter 4

**So sorry it's taken me so long to update, been really busy. But here it is Chapter 4. Please leave me a comment or review.**

A Matter of Trust

Chapter Four

Rose was very shocked by how grand Torchwood Three actually was. Jack had shown her the two areas of getting in and out of the Torchwood hub; they had a good laugh about the perception filter, on the spot where the TARDIS had landed. This made Rose wonder about other areas the TARDIS had landed and if the TARDIS had affected those areas as well. Does the Doctor even consider this, how he affects different worlds, even if it was in small ways.

Jack shows her around The Hub, he shows her a desk and computer that would be hers. He tells her he's putting her in charge of alien artifacts. Jack knew Rose would be good at that, all during her time on the TARDIS she had read about other worlds and got to know different types of aliens. She decided to learn a bit more about aliens after being trapped in Downing Street; she wants to be able to identify certain types of aliens. The Doctor had helped her in this, giving her books to study and even told her alien tabloids would help. She brought these with her from the TARDIS, it did feel like stealing to her but the Doctor had given them too her as gifts and she in the end she knew the TARDIS would replace anything that the Doctor truly needed.

Jack introduced Rose to his team, Toshiko Sato, who was by far the smartest person with computers she had ever met, Owen Harper, Torchwood Three's medic and he was to be her personal doctor during her pregnancy, and finally Suzie Costello, who was Jack's second in command and in charge of Alien weapons. He had to introduce Rose as Alice but Rose enjoyed that a bit. She really didn't want to dwell on her life as Rose Tyler.

Jack then showed Rose something she'll never forget the Doctor's hand in a jar.

"I was there." Rose referring to when he got it cut off.

"Figured you would be."

"He just grew another one, it was creepy Jack. So this is how you'll know if the Doctor ever comes back."

"Yep." He said with a fake smile.

"And you're still going to go with him after everything he's done to you?" Rose questioned

"I don't know, but I got to confront him about it. I deserve some answers." Jack said

Rose nodded.

Rose truly enjoyed working for Torchwood, Jack hadn't allowed her to do field work yet due to the pregnancy but she had fun learning about all sorts of alien technology. She had even taken to being called Allie. Tosh was helping her learn the computer. She really enjoyed spending time with Tosh; she was a bit hung up on Owen though. Rose had learned very quickly that Owen was a huge womanizer and a bit of a tosser. He had made a pass at Rose, while doing her ultrasound. Rose had turned him down of course; the Doctor was just too fresh. Afterwards Jack said under no certain terms was Owen ever allowed to flirt like that with Rose again and then just for good measurement told him to

"Keep your hands off the blonde." Jack said as Owen left his office.

Rose gave Jack a knowing look.

"Hey, that the line I got told." It was all Jack would say to her.

Everyone whom she works with knew that something was different about Rose, but Jack had sworn them to secrecy and told them they were never to mention any of this ever, too anyone. Owens first sonogram showed that Rose was about 13 weeks along, and that everything was going good and the baby looked very strong. But very soon Rose's pregnancy advanced by her next Sonogram two weeks later she was about 18 weeks.

"What do you think Rose?" Jack said, he had been with her as Owen did the scan.

"I think somebody was wrong." Rose said referring to the Doctor.

Jack never mentioned the Doctor by name and Rose knew it would only hurt Jack to hear his name.

"Well, this kid of yours is going to be coming sooner rather than later Allie, given the look of things, was looking at early May or late April."

Rose begins to panic slightly, it was late February now, and how in the world would she be ready to have this baby by April or May. For the first time she truly realized that she was going to be a single parent without the help of a partner. She knew Jack wanted to help and Rose had even asked him to be Godfather to the baby but it wasn't the same as raising her baby with the Doctor besides her. Owen put away the scan and Rose cleaned herself up and sat up.

"Red alert, another damn Weevil." Suzie said disgusted rushing in, she was most vocal about how much Weevil's disgusted her. Rose didn't think that way, she wished there was a way with communicated with the species to figure out what exactly was wrong with them. They seemed to be very animalist.

Jack begins to rush around the Hub, to give everyone orders.

"Owen, Tosh, with me. R…Alice…"Jack was cut off

"I know make some tea and get comfy." Rose said

"Actually, I believe you have some paperwork to do Missy." Jack said kissing her on the cheek before leaving with the team. Rose sighed to herself it's not that she didn't understand why Jack wouldn't let her out of field work but it she hated sitting around waiting. She tried to work on her paper work but she became drawn to the Doctor's hand in a jar, it was the closest thing to the Doctor that she had left to her now and occasionally she would talk to it.

"I miss you. I know I shouldn't, I know I should still be too angry to miss you but I do. I was thinking of names last night and for a boy I was thinking Alexander. Means defender of mankind, suppose it would fit him with parents like us, eh. For a girl I was thinking Annabelle, I don't think it's a girl though. The pregnancy advanced, taking about half the time of a normal human pregnancy Owen said. I have so many unanswered questions. Are you still with Mickey? Haven't heard from him since I left. Is he safe back in London or have you lost him? Have you replaced me already Doctor? Is there another girl in my spot? Do you care so little about your own child that you won't even pop in for a visit. Will they never know who their Father is?"

"I wish you were here." Rose finally admitted

The Doctor had proven her right though, he would just leave his child behind. He hadn't come after them, he hasn't tried to prove himself to her. She pushed these thoughts away

_I'm Alice, Alice Gardiner, and Rose Tyler is gone. _She thought over and over to herself.

By mid-March, Owen was able to tell the gender of the baby.

"There you go then." Owen said and turned the scan screen towards Rose. Jack was holding her hand. This was her second scan the last one he hadn't been able to determine the sex.

"There's your baby, two heart beats, and one body." Owen said carefully.

"Owen." Jack warned.

Owen smirked. "Do you want to know the sex then?"

"Yea." Rose nodded her head with joy. She was so excited. She kept looking at the picture on the screen, her little baby, its heartbeats sounded so strong.

"Congrats it's a little boy." Owen said

"A boy." Rose said most happy.

"Awww Allie that's fantastic. Can you print out pictures of the baby?" Jack said, Jack always made sure to be there for Rose when she had to do something with baby, they went shopping; he took her to Lamaze and child raising classes. He always seemed to make time for her.

"Sure thing." Owen said

"Got a name in mind Alice?" Tosh said coming over to them, hearing the baby was a boy, as Rose sat up and cleaned herself up.

"Ya, I was thinking about the name Alexander for a boy."

"Oooo, Alex I like it."

"No I think Lex for a nickname."

"For Lex Luthor?" Jack questioned

"Well his father was… questionable at best." Rose said

Jack snorted, Tosh and Owen didn't get the joke.

"Well Alexander is a lovely name. Alexander Gardiner."

Once they all left, Jack whispered

"Alexander Tyler."

Jackie, quite liked her new life, she liked being Eva a bit, which shocked her a lot. Jackie worked for a local hair salon a few streets from where they lived. Jackie knew Rose was unhappy, she knew her daughter well enough. When Rose came home she ate her supper and went to bed, sometimes they'd watch a bit of Telly together.

"Mum I'm home. I got something for you." Rose said coming through the door.

"What is it dear?"

She handed Jackie the sonogram picture, Jackie smiled, and she had the last couple of sonogram pictures on the fridge and one even at her work station.

"It's a boy." Rose said.

Jackie hugged Rose. Jackie was thrilled to be having a grandchild, even if it was with an alien git who broke her daughter's heart.

"A little boy, hmmm a boy. How about Tony or something."

"Already has a name, told you weeks back. I'm calling him Alexander."

"Pretty Posh dear, such a big sounding name."

"That's why we're calling him Lex for short." Rose retorted back; she went up to her room to change her pants and shirt. Work clothes weren't the most comfortable for pregnancy.

Rose walked back down stairs.

"I need to go shopping this weekend. Can't fit in my work clothes much longer; god I feel like I've put on like 10 pounds over night."

"So when are you going to be due?" Jackie questioned knowing about how Rose's pregnancy's was advancing quickly

"I don't know. Probably won't know until till I'm in labor, Owen's thinking late April or early May though."

"Well that's no good, when are we supposed to have the baby shower." Jackie complained

"We aren't having one mum." Rose said

"Course we are."

"And who the hell would we invite." Rose retorted. She did have an Aunt and few cousins back in London, but nobody could know where they were or who they really were.

"Well I'm making friends at work, and you well, you have people at the Torchwood place right."

"Yea mum, just ideal friendships there, we spend all day hunting down Aliens and stuff, we just all want to hang out afterwards. I mean Tosh is great, I really like her. Owen's just a wanker. And Suzie, well I don't care too much for Suzie." Rose admitted

"What are you doing this weekend?"

"Jack helping me with target practice on Saturday but Sunday I'm doing nothing unless some alien threat happens." Rose said

Rose didn't want to carry a weapon on her but she knew that she'd rather be safe than sorry. She knew that not all aliens were nice and that she needed to be prepared.

"Bit boring if you ask me. Why don't we go shopping on Sunday then, will get you things and the baby some stuff. Now that we know it's a boy we can start the nursery." Jackie said.

Rose knew that money was no longer as tight as it was before, with the Doctor's 2,000 pounds and her paycheck from Torchwood, mum's job also gave them a steady bit of pocket change. They weren't rich but they certainly are not broke anymore.

"Good thing you're off on Sunday not Saturday. Got myself a date."

"With who?" Rose said unsurprised, Jackie was always the dating type but she never settled for anyone.

"This man I cut his hair, names Adam. Adam Herman, he's a business man, not posh mind you but still he does pretty well. Asked for my number after I was done with his hair."

"That's good for you mum." Rose said a bit sad

April did finally come around and surprising Rose's pregnancy's advancement halted and it started developing like a normal human pregnancy. She was only 33 weeks at the time so she figured the baby would still be here very soon.

When army of Ghost appeared around the world, at first we thought it had something to do with the rift but quickly realized that it wasn't us. It had something to do with Torchwood One. Torchwood Three wasn't allowed to do anything about. By late April we heard of the tragic news of Canary Wharf, the battle, the Cybermen. Afterwards Torchwood Three became the largest branch of Torchwood. Jack, although saddened deeply by the battle and losses, was now happy to be freed from Torchwood One. Rose was too, she had several nightmares which had involved them, not that she had actually had seen anyone from Torchwood One but still they had haunted her a bit.

"You could go back to London, you know, after the birth and all. Be Rose Tyler again." Jack said to her one night after everyone had left.

"No, I don't think so."

"Why not?" Jack questioned

"I like being Alice, she's better than me." Rose admitted, she felt better being Alice. She helped the team protect the Earth and shortly she'd be out there saving the world with them.

"You're still you Rose. That doesn't change."

"Everything changes." Rose looked down at the paperwork she was doing. Jack knew something was up, the last few days Rose wasn't herself and it wasn't just hormones.

"Ok, I'll bite, what's wrong?"

"I haven't heard from Mickey since I left the TARDIS." Rose admitted

She had been extremely worried about him. She would have at least hoped that he would have contacted her.

"Maybe he just doesn't know where you are." Jack injected

"No, I checked, he's been reported missing. Nobody's seen him. I think he's dead." Rose started to tear up.

"Awww, Rose doesn't get upset." Jack said pulling her into a hug.

"Would he even bother to tell me, or anyone? I don't think he would."

"I don't know Rose." Jack said

"And yet you still hope to find him." Rose concluded

"I have to know, I have to see him. He'll know what's wrong with me. Maybe he can fix it."

"Maybe." Rose said

Beta-ed by:Emilie Brown

To be Continued


	5. Chapter 5

**Ok, here's chapter 5 the long awaited birth scene. Next Chapter's going to focus on the Doctor POV though.**

**A Matter of Trust**

**Chapter Five**

Ianto Jones, Jack Harkness thought during his long nights alone at the Torchwood Three Hub. He was from Torchwood One, a place Jack had despised so much, and they had almost destroyed everything. He at first did not want to give Ianto a chance but then he helped him capture the Pterodactyl. He proved to be very resourceful and Jack liked the fact that he didn't give up. Not to mention he did look fine in a suit.

He had told Rose about Ianto prior to relenting on him. Rose had thought it would be a good idea to let him in, Jack had not. Jack did not want to upset Rose, especially since she was this close to delivering little Lex, but he just couldn't help but snap at her. Rose was only 20 years old and Jack was 100 years old, he worked for Torchwood for nearly a century and had just recently been allowed to change it. He didn't like the idea of inviting a man who had worked for the part of Torchwood he despised so much.

"We can't trust him Rose, he's from Torchwood One. They would have hunted you down, taken your baby and killed you if they had the chance. There was reason I severed ties with them." Jack said through gritted teeth.

"But we can't just let him go, all he's seen, all he's done, what person could put that behind them."

"Then I'll give him retcon if it makes you feel better." Jack snapped

"You wouldn't." Rose said with a hurt look.

Jack sighed and took off his coat and sat down on his desk.

"I might, if he starts causing problems. What are you even doing here anyways; I thought I told you last week to start your maternity leave." Jack sighed, Owen had predicted that Rose had reached the 39th or 40th week in her pregnancy she was about to give birth any day now.

"Owen had to do a scan and check up on me. I'm apparently a centimeter dilated, this kids coming soon." Rose said patting her large baby bump.

"Sure looks like it." Jack nodded towards the baby bump "Sure there isn't two in there." Rose smacked his arm for that.

"Oi! You try having swollen ankles and have to pee 8 times in an hour, all so another being can come into this world." Rose joked

"You love it though; don't tell me you aren't dead happy you get too meet him soon." Jack smirked

"Yea, I can't wait to meet him."

"We should go over the plan again." Jack started

"Jack we've been over it five hundred times." Rose complained.

"When your water breaks, who do you, call?"

"You, you'll come get me wherever I am."

"Yes, then we get Jackie, cause she's threatened to slap me if she misses the birth of her grandchild." Jack said rubbing a cheek with false pain, the Doctor had described in vivid detail how bad Jackie Tyler slaps could be, to him.

"Then we call Owen. And he'll get his ass over here. I've told him to be on his best behavior the next couple of days, this might happened at any time. And we can't induce you because we don't know what medication will or won't hurt the baby, and we can't give you any pains meds for the same reason."

"Yep an all-natural childbirth, just the way I like it." Rose said jokingly

He laughed along with her. Just then Owen busted into the Office.

"We got something."

"What."

"I don't know. Something about some Paramedic's killed. Seems to be some kind of weird writing about them."

Jack got up and got his coat.

"Ok, let's get going. Tosh, Suzie, Owen with me. Alice, go home prepare for the birth. With any luck you'll have this kid when the world isn't coming to an end." Jack jokes and kissed Rose on the cheek.

Once they had left and Rose began her journey home Rose sighed to herself.

_Jack's so different_she thought._It's my entire fault he's like this_.

She had seen in the last few months Jack's darker side, in a way she was reminded of the Doctor's darker side but with Jack it hurt more. She doesn't know why, both the Doctor and Jack were the only ones of their kind. Rose thought with a panic, she was too, she just hasn't the experience that Jack or the Doctor has but one day it will come. When that day comes will she become hardened like them? She wondered

She hoped not, but she understood that Jack did what he thought was best. She couldn't help but still love him, he was her friend still and that couldn't have been easy for him to be. They had abandoned him for over a hundred years and some nights it really showed. Sometimes it was like they were still on the TARDIS laughing and joking but other times it was like she hardly knew him.

He had told her how Torchwood originally enlisted him, of them torturing him, there elitist attitude, Jack tried as best he could to change things but he only recently got command of Torchwood Three and since then he worked as hard as he could to sever all links with London and to find the best people he could to add to his team.

He had even protected the Doctor from Torchwood on several occasions. Rose swore that if she ever saw the Doctor again she would smack him so hard he would forget all about her mother smacking him. What he had done to Jack had been so unforgivable, so deplorable. She didn't understand why Jack had wanted to see him so bad, but she figured that he need some type of closure.

When Rose's water finally did break, it was midday Tuesday May 29. Just a week after Jack relented and let Ianto Jones work for them. Rose had felt a slight trickle down her legs and if Jackie had not been there with her, Rose would have hardly noticed it. She said that was completely normal that it wasn't a giant gush like the movies said.

When Rose called Jack he was more than excited, he had been calling Rose nightly to make sure everything was ok with her.

"Ianto, head the car over to Alice's we're having a baby guys." Jack shouted to Ianto as he was on the phone with Rose. "Owen, is the conference room ready? Don't worry R.. Alice, I'll be there soon as I can."

Jack had made Owen set the conference up as the place where she would give birth. At first Owen said she could have the baby right in the lab but after seeing so many dead bodies in that place Rose wanted her baby to be born in another location.

Rose noticed that Jack was jumping around like a puppy when he got there. She had been having her first couple of contractions with Jackie. She had been helping her, get through them. Jack and Ianto got her into the car.

"Nice to meet you Mrs. Gardiner, I'm Ianto Jones." Ianto said

"Oh you got another one, you didn't tell me Ro… Allie" She said, she had been specifically told by Rose to call her Allie for the day.

When they got finally got there the contractions had turned for the worst. Rose was unsure if she would be able to do this.

"What if I can't?" She said to her mum

"You can, you will." Jackie simply said

"Army full of Daleks no problem but popping out one tiny little kid and you think you're going to die." Jack said jokingly.

Owen examined her and decides that she was just beginning active labor

"This is probably going to take a while." He announced, to Jack, Ianto and Jackie

Suzie was working on the restriction hand and Tosh was decoying something. Rose could really care very little about their whereabouts as the pain begins to get really bad and there was nothing they could really do about it.

It took a bit quicker than normal human labor took; it only took 6 hours of labor for Rose to be ready to push.

All during the 6 hours Rose tried to be brave but she only really ever wanted the Doctor to be by her side. But she had to do this on her own.

_He isn't here and he's not coming back for you. You've got to do this on your own._ Rose thought to herself when she began to push the baby out.

It took 30 minutes of pushing but finally after one final long push baby Lex entered the world, at 9:46 pm.

Rose was so overcome by joy, all the pain she had felt slipped away when Owen put her baby in her arms.

For the first time since she left the Doctor, Rose was truly happy.

**Beta-ed by: **Emilie Brown

**To be Continued**


	6. Chapter 6

**Not a very long chapter, but does contain spoilers from season 3 with the addition of Donna Noble. I felt that since Rose hadn't been trapped and practically dead to the Doctor that he wouldn't have been so dark in the season 3 opening and Donna would have joined team TARDIS. Please Review and Favorite.**

**A Matter of Trust**

**Chapter Six**

"Donna has the Doctor ever mentioned Rose to you." Martha Jones asked Donna Noble one night in the TARDIS kitchen.

Donna Noble had been traveling with the Doctor for months now and they had been the most incredible months of her life. She had been to New Earth, The Moon, and 1930s New York. She had fought against Daleks and that strange Lizard man. He took her to some of the best spas and shopping centers in the universe. Recently they had defeated the Family of Blood, which had been very hard on Martha who had been left as a maid; at least Donna got to be a librarian. She had to watch John Smith fall in love with another woman, and then only to have the woman to become hurt by the Doctor's return. Martha had been crushed at the idea of John Smith falling in love with another woman.

She knew the Doctor was hurting though, every little thing that had reminded him of his Rose. Donna didn't even know her name till Martha came aboard and said her name aloud for the first time.

Martha was an amazing person and would make a great Doctor, she had seen her in action and she just knew this girl would be a star. She did however have a crush on the Doctor, which she did not understand in the slightest. The skinny boned man seemed to be oblivious to Martha's feelings and continentally hurt her by pushing Rose in their faces. At times Donna believes the Doctor doesn't even know he's doing it; he just likes to hear Rose's names on his lips.

"A few times why?" Donna said reminded of her first time on the TARDIS and the Doctor's dark look at the mention of Rose.

"Well, did he mention anything about her? Like where she really is? If she's actually alive? What made her so goddamn special?" Martha muttered the last part under her breath.

"I know probably as much as you do to be honest. However I do know this." Pouring her a cuppa. "When I was first on the TARDIS, you know when I thought I had been kidnapped."

"How can I forget?" Martha chuckled; she had found the Redhead's story so incredibly funny.

"Well, I found a shirt, of Rose's, I presume. When I asked him he just said that's my Friend's and just said she's gone. When I pushed he just gave me this dark look, like the one with the Daleks and said 'she left me, I hurt her.'" Donna said quietly

"Hurt her how? Physically? Why would she ever leave him, he's wonderful. Absolutely brilliant." Martha said eyes glazed over. "I wish I knew what she was like, and then I'd know how to behave." Martha said quietly

"Martha, you don't need to behave any differently, he trusts you with his life. He gave you the fob watch, not me you. He trusts you. I know he doesn't return your feelings, I think you could do better than that skinny bloke. There's more too him then he lets on, I know there is, maybe Rose found out more and that's why she left. You are brilliant. Things we've done things we've seen."

"Why doesn't he see me, I'm right here and yet when he looks at me sometimes it's like he's looking at someone else."

"I don't know, he won't open up about it, I found him at the door of a room once; I asked if it was Rose's. He just looked at me, the way he was staring at that door, he looked so angry; he just walked away without looking at me. He's hurt right now, badly. We just need to be his friends. I don't think he could deal with much more."

"He could with Joan." Martha rebutted

"No, John Smith could, a man with none of the Doctor's memories."

"He remembered Rose." Martha said aloud.

"What?" Donna hadn't heard that before.

"In his diary he wrote about her, talked about her with Joan, said she disappeared later on and said that she had taken something important with her." Martha was quiet after that.

Donna hugged Martha who was clearly hurting due to the Doctor. And he was cruel to Martha, he had kissed her in the hospital, Donna saw, but then he took it back. It was only natural for Martha to hope for something between them. She hoped one day Martha left the TARDIS, not because she didn't want her around but so she could find someone who could be everything she deserved.

It took months, months after Rose left for the Doctor to open the door to their bedroom. He couldn't bear the thought of their once happy bedroom barren and stripped. To his surprise it wasn't as empty as he had thought it would be. Rose took her things with her, she left behind gifts that he had given, dresses, jewelry even little things. The one thing he did notice missing was books he had given her. He was glad for that; he wanted her to take all the things he had given her.

He at first couldn't bear more than a couple moments in the room, soon he was able to stay for a few hours while his new companions slept and he once even slept. He missed her, he knew that much. He thought both Donna and Martha were brilliant but they weren't her. He knew that the baby had been born and was healthy. He had felt the baby while in London during Christmas with Donna, every time he went to 21st century earth he could feel the child he had abandoned. It was faint but there, he tends to avoid going there. Only stops once and a while to let his companion's visit their families, he knew it was wrong but he couldn't stand that faint sound in the back of his head. Knowing what he'd lost.

Once the Family of Blood situation was over he spent a good long time in His and Rose's bedroom. He even considered finding them for a moment, begging for her forgiveness. But he couldn't, he couldn't face what he had done. He just wanted to run, run and never look back. Never go back to Earth again, where he hears that faint sound in his mind.

He had fallen in love, as John Smith of course. Even then he had dreams and nightmares about Rose and her baby. John Smith didn't understand of course, he just knew that Rose had gone and taken something with her, something important.

He felt such pity for Joan; she didn't deserve any of this. She was a victim of the Doctor's never ending wrath. He had offered himself to her, hoping that by any chance she would still want him as the Doctor. It wasn't that he loved her; he just wanted to be reassured that it was possible for him to be loved.

He knew Martha thought herself in love with him, but he knew it was a crush at best. She was brilliant no doubt and one of the greatest friends he's ever had. And more than that she was trustworthy, he felt entirely safe trusting him in Martha's hands. He knew she would do the right thing. She did remind him of Rose at times and that hurt, hurt more than anyone could imagine. He just had to mention her when those times came; he had to say her name on his lips in order to make things alright again. He could pretend for a moment, she was just shopping somewhere or had gone off to have a wander and she'd be back soon. Then the hard reality hit him.

Rose wasn't coming back. She had left him and for a good reason too. Donna, whom he was so glad to have in his life, was the only one he admitted it too but he had hurt Rose. Hurt her bad and he had done nothing to gain her trust back. He accused her of cheating, and that is what he regrets the most. He hoped to whatever Gods or Deities might exist that she was at least happy and well provided for. He hoped that the money he supplied her with was enough.

In the end all his thoughts revolved around Rose. Even the unimportant ones, stupid little things he wanted to tell her, stupid things he wanted to buy for her. He just wanted her company back.

The Doctor gripped the bed he was sitting on. He suddenly got up.

_Time for another trip, time for more running._

**Beta-ed by: **Emilie Brown

**To be Continued**


	7. Chapter 7

**Another short chapter; sort of an interlude between storylines. Next chapter Rose begins working for Torchwood during season one so there will be huge spoilers and changes to the plots of season one Torchwood. This is a bit of fluff to make up for last chapter. Hope you all enjoy, thank you to everyone who had been reviewing and following this story.**

**A Matter of Trust**

**Chapter Seven**

Jackie Tyler was more than happy with her new life in Cardiff. She was dating Adam, a man whom she was beginning to fall in love with. She couldn't help but think of her late husband Pete; she had loved him so dearly and practically made him a saint after his death. She knew he would want her to move on though. Adam was a successful business man and ran a shop in Cardiff. Rose had met him and she liked him well enough, she had finally got clearance from both Rose and Jack to tell Adam her actual identity.

He was upset at first but Jackie had told him that her and Rose were in protection due to Rose's job and she couldn't tell anyone not just him. Although upset, he was happy that she had told him the news. He had even asked her to move in with him, she had said that it was too soon but that wasn't the truth. She knew that they'd be happy together eventually but she didn't want to leave Rose just yet. Rose needed her right now, unlike any other time in her life. She had thought for a while that since Rose was off with the Doctor that she'd never need her again, but Rose was heartbroken right now and a single mother. Jackie had helped her learn how to wash baby Lex, how to properly feed him, place him in a crib, put a car seat in a car, all of this and more.

Rose is still such a child. And here she was 20 years old with a baby strapped to her hip, not just a baby an Alien baby. She sometimes cursed the Doctor, both pinstripes and leather. For leaving her daughter and her grandson but mostly for taking Rose's heart with him, she wouldn't move on. She knew Rose too well, she knew she'd spend the rest of her life pinning for the Doctor even if she wouldn't admit to it. She had done the same thing after Pete had died, every man had to measure up to him. It had taken Jackie this long to even consider falling in love with another man. She didn't want that for her daughter, Rose and Lex deserve so much more. Sometimes she'd wish Rose would fall in love with that Jack man, he was a bit of a flirt yea but it was clear he loved Rose and Lex and would provide for them. But Rose wouldn't even consider him in that way.

_Damn you Doctor._

Life with Lex was very difficult on Rose; his growth was stable and normal. Owen had predicted that it should be as normal as a human child was. Rose was happy about that, she was often worried that Lex wouldn't be able to fit in with other children his age but at least now Rose would be able to enroll him in childhood actives. Jack had prohibited Lex from going to a normal school though; Torchwood would have to provide him with school, when the time came. Rose didn't like this idea but Jack wouldn't cave on this issue.

Rose hadn't started back up at Torchwood yet but she would soon. Her Mum had quit her hair dressing job and agreed to watch Lex for her, she couldn't trust Lex at a daycare center and she couldn't bring him to Torchwood on a daily bases. Her Mum was more than happy to help her which she found surprising. She had been very patient with her and she was so very glad to have her help. For the first time she felt like her Mum supported her.

"I'm thinking about taking my A-Levels." She said to Jack one night he came over for dinner, while Jackie was out with Adam.

"Really in what?"

"Well Tosh has been helping me in computers and I really like that. She thinks I would pass if I study up on the book part of it. I wanted to take French when I was in school, but now I'm thinking either biology or chemistry."

"I could help you study." Jack offered

"So you don't think I'm stupid then for wanting to do this now."

"Of course not, plenty of people do education later on in life. It's just so great that you're doing this though." Jack said gently

"I was thinking about online university afterwards, I know with Lex and Torchwood it would be hard to manage but taking a class or two wouldn't hurt."

"Hey if you want to take time off Torchwood to do this, you know you can." Jack responded

"No, I actually can't wait to get back to work, I just love it. Once you've seen it, really seen it, how can you ever go back."

"I know the feeling, so want to hear all the new gossip." Jack said excitingly

Rose nodded enthusiastically. She loved hearing about her co-workers while she was gone.

He told her about Suzie's resurrection glove. Suzie was trying so very hard to make it work permanently. They had gone out and tested the glove on murder victims.

"How do you feel about that?" Rose said knowing that this must hurt Jack.

"I don't know how to feel." Jack shrugged. "On the one hand, they're human beings and they want to conquer death but none of them know, you guys don't understand how much can be lost." Jack said quietly

"I'm sorry Jack." Rose said

"We don't know if it was you." Jack simply stated his eyes glazing over.

"Yes we do." Rose said quietly, she had been tearing herself up for months with over what she had done to Jack.

When she learned more about their time apart it made her hate herself. She knew it had to be her, sometimes she could even remember it, like a dream or a distant memory, she felt herself bring Jack back to life, putting that new life force in him.

Jack went over to Rose and hugged her.

"Even if it was you, I don't hate you for it. How could I, I love you." He said and kissed her chastely.

"Jack" She warned when his hands started to wander.

"Remind me, why didn't you and me even end up together?" Jack said rhetorically, his arms still wrapped around Rose.

"Because the Doctor would have killed you; he wasn't one to share his toys." She chuckled

"No, No he wasn't. We both love him though." Jack murmured. They both then jolted when they heard Lex crying.

"Let me." Jack said he had become extremely close with Lex. He was the child's godfather after all. Rose followed him over to Lex's bassinet.

"Awww, little Alexander, are you jealous that mummy got all of Uncle Jack's attention." He said picking up the baby, whom had been recently feed, "Don't worry, I love you all equally." He said staring at the still fussing baby. He had light blonde hair and dark grey blue eyes, but he knew that the eyes would change eventually.

"He probably needs changed." Rose said grabbing a diaper. Jack took it from her.

"Where does he get the blond hair from? Is the new Doctor a blond?" He said as he went to change Lex.

"No, he's sort of brown." Rose said with a smile "Probably from me, I was blonde till I was 7 or 8 mum says then my hair became a light brown color."

He enjoyed spending time with Lex and Rose, they were very much becoming his family and Jack felt like so much like a father to this baby. He then felt a pang of guilt in his heart for the Doctor, because although he knew he was a selfish bastard, he knew he was missing out on one of the best things in the world.

"Oh I'll take care of you little one, while he's gone." He murmured as he kissed Lex's head.

It was growing late though and he needed to get back to Torchwood. He bid both Rose and Lex a goodnight. Rose mentioned how grateful she was to have him here with her and he just couldn't help himself and kissed on the lips again, only friendly though. He knew she'd never give her heart to anyone but the Doctor. But a man could hope couldn't he.

"I want you back at Torchwood soon." Jack said before going.

"Owen says another two to three weeks. Don't worry I'll be there."

"Good because I miss you."

**Beta-ed by:****Emilie Brown**

**To be Continued**


	8. Chapter 8 part One

**Hello again, here's chapter 8 part one. I've debated long and hard on how to mix Rose into Torchwood season one; I've decided that I'm just going to have to rewrite the episodes. So until the end of Torchwood Season One this story is going to deal with Rose and Jack's relationship, which is about to get interesting, but don't worry this is a Doctor/Rose pairing in the end. Now this chapter is based on the episode Day One, I'll be skipping the first episode of Torchwood, so just assume that everything remained the same.**

**A Matter of Trust**

**Chapter Eight Part One**

Rose was completely shocked for what she saw when Gwen Cooper entered the Torchwood SUV. She was the spitting image of Gwyneth, the girl who had closed the rift in 1869, with the Doctor, her first Doctor. She knew Gwen wasn't Gwyneth but it was still difficult for her to look upon her, she reminded her of the beginning with the Doctor; and how she thought she was important to him.

Jack had told her of the sad news with Suzie, Rose had known that she was working on the resurrection glove but she never knew she'd get obsessed with the thing and kill because of it. She felt bad that she didn't know more about Suzie and never made an effort to be friends with her. Once she learned about Jack hiring Gwen Cooper she vowed to make an effort to become friends with her. Now knowing her resemblance to Gwyneth it would make things more difficult but she'd still try.

And the fact that she had released an alien gas on her first day also didn't look good. Rose let it go though; reminding herself how she almost killed everyone so her Father could live. Rose breathes through her gas mask hoping to shake this feeling of unease that settled upon her. Jack looks at Rose strangely knowing something is up and grabs her hand as they walk away from the sight.

Rose was so happy to be back to work, she missed Lex like crazy though, and her little son had grown on her heart very quickly. She just couldn't get enough time with him, but she knew in order to be the woman and mum she wanted to be she would go back to Torchwood. Torchwood hours were long and unpredictable so she was thankful her own mum had signed up to be Lex's babysitter, mum's friends just adored little Lex .

Back at the Hub Gwen is still apologizing. Rose lets go of Jack's hand which she now notices she still was holding.

"Really Gwen its fine, we all make mistakes." Rose tries to comfort her after Owen kept getting on her case.

"On the plus side, we've got good evidence, relatively undamaged." Jack says as he opens the bits of rock. Rose went over to look at it, standing near Jack.

"On the downside, there's an alien on the loose, we don't know where it is,  
why it's here or what it's going to do." Owen says

"Give her a break." Tosh joins in.

"Seriously Owen," Rose hissed

"God, this has been the worst first day ever." Gwen says unhappily

"Like Allie said, we all make mistakes. Get over it. Now we find and recover whatever came out  
of there."

"Yea, listen stupid girlfriend." Rose hears Owen mutter under his breath, Jack doesn't hear him. Rose was about to say something when Ianto appears telling them about a strange death in a club, possibly related to the gas.

They arrive at the Club; Rose can't help but feel pride that she'd finally out on a real Torchwood mission without being pregnant. Everyone's seemed to have forgotten that this is also Rose's first day, sort of.

She can see Gwen talking to an old copper friend of hers, she's quite glad that way she doesn't break completely with her old life.

The Torchwood team discovers the pile of dust on the floor on the woman's loo. The try to make as much sense of it as they can, then they see the CCTV footage, Rose has no doubt after that it has to do with the gas Gwen released. The footage had been of two people having loud sex and just as the man was about to release he exploded and turned to dust, the woman seemed to get something out of that release. It was definitely alien.

"Wow, one hell of a way to die. Don't you think Allie?" Jack grinned over at her.

Rose rolls her eyes at him.

"Oh, my God! He just ..." Tosh says in shock.

"Came and went." Jack joked

"That's the way I'd like to go." Owen snickers.

"I'm sure we could arrange it." Tosh says cheekily

Rose although she understands the jokes, doesn't really see the humor in this. The poor girl has obviously been possessed by this gas. Rose felt a shiver down her spine.

Gwen asks obvious police questions and Jack just shuts her down. She obviously has good initiative and Rose sees a bright future for her here at Torchwood.

Back at the Hub Jack barks orders about getting a body identical for the male victim.

"You have a stash of bodies?" Gwen asks

Rose sighs and smiles at Gwen. She forgets how alien this all can be sometime.

Jack takes Gwen out to see if they can get any more clues, as to who the girl was.

"I promise to bring you out next time, plus I'm just happy to have you back." Jack says to her, in his office, when he sees she's jealous. He tilts her chin up. "I haven't forgotten today's your first real day too." He says kissing her cheek. Rose blushes; realizing how close they are and moves away from him.

"Why don't you try and figure out what the gas creature is." Jack says knowing he's made Rose uncomfortable.

Gwen watches them suspiciously from her desk.

Once they come back they all set to work.

"So, what's this supposed to do?" Gwen questions Jack.

"I'm using satellite-tracking data to determine the inward trajectory of the  
meteorite" Jack says

"He means he's trying to find out where it's come from." Rose says smirking.

"Hey! Sometimes techno babble is good for the soul." Jack says indignantly

"Don't I know it?" Rose says reminded of the Doctor, and sighs a little bit. Jack watches a bit in frustration, knowing what she's thinking about.

"So this is a route planner."

"Not far off." Tosh replies

"Rhys, my boyfriend, is a transport manager. He does this sort of stuff. On a  
slightly smaller scale, though." Gwen says

Rose is even happier to learn that Gwen has a boyfriend; she always felt it was weird that Tosh and Owen were so isolated

"You have a boyfriend?" Tosh asks with some shock.

"Yeah. Have you?" Gwen says, not understanding how isolated these people are.

"Don't have time with this job." Tosh shakes her head.

"What about you? You seeing anyone?" She asks Owen.

"You've gotta be joking. I can get all the grief I need here." Owen moans

"Allie what about you?" Gwen asks.

Jack looks over at her, wonder what her reply would be

"I have newborn son, that's enough for me."

"And the Father?"

"Out of the picture." Rose replies a bit annoyed, she hated it when anyone other than Jack brought up Lex's father.

Jack looks a bit sad in his office.

"None of you have partners?" Gwen says in shock.

"Just you, newbie." Owen mocks her

"I'm not being rude or anything, but ... Well, maybe I am, but ... how do you  
switch off from all this stuff? What do you do to relax?"

Jack looks at, Rose, who looks at Owen who looks at Toshiko.

"I torture people in happy relationships." Owen says annoyed

Rose rolls her eyes, sometimes she really can't stand Owen.

Rose watches Tosh running the video image of Carys in through a  
database.

"Gas traces confirmed as Vorax and Suranium."

"Just like you thought Allie. Great, my two favorite gases. Can we do a check, and find out what we know about them?"

"Going over it now." Rose said moving back to her desk.

Ianto comes into the hub carrying a tray of cups for everyone. Jack takes a cup. So does Rose.

"What's this doing?" Gwen asks about Tosh's database.

"I've taken an image of the girl from the CCTV. This cross-checks her face  
with the UK population." Tosh replies simply

"You can't have every face in the UK on there. That would be against civil  
liberties, data protection, all that stuff ..." Gwen trails off.

Rose remembers being that naïve once, a long time ago. Seeing Gwen question all of this is a good thing she thought.

"Still doing that 'you' instead of 'we' thing." Jack says amused

Once the computer finishes the scan. It reads: 119 POSSIBLE MATCHES.

"Ah. A hundred and nineteen suspects. This thing's supposed to give us a  
single match." Owen moans

"The CCTV was too low res. I've tried magnifying and augmenting but it just  
breaks up. Which means that the software can't function properly." Tosh says

"It's narrowed the numbers down. I could check through the rest. You know,  
the old fashioned way - with my eyes." Ianto says pointing to his eyes, Rose laughs. Jack turns to look at her and smiles.

"What about the fingerprints I took off the alley wall?" Gwen asks

Tosh runs the print – NO MATCH FOUND.

"It was a long-shot, anyway." Rose pipes in

"Just a bit. "Owen says annoyed

"Least I'm trying to do something." Gwen defends herself

"No, you're trying anything." Owen remarks back.

"The CCTV must have picked up her arrival at the club. Tosh, can you reformat  
the image recognition software to trace her journey backwards via the street camera  
network?" Jack said annoyed with the pair of them.

"It'll take a while to process. Every possible turn on every street corner  
means hundreds of thousands of probabilities." Tosh replies

"Have a go. At least we'll know where she started the evening." Jack says

"We could cross reference that with the addresses on the remaining face  
matches." Gwen says thinking it's clever

"Good one, newbie! That's a bit more like it!" Owen says snapping his fingers.

Rose stares daggers into his back.

Finding the girl proved to be relatively easy, Ianto had quickly identified the girl as Carys Fletcher and they all loaded up to try and stop her before she killed again. Rose, Jack and Tosh had just entered the home just as Carys began to sexually engage another victim; they had put on gas masks prior to entering the house.

"What's going on?" The man asks he seems to be very confused and to be in a state of shock.

"Put your trousers on and get out. Now!" Jack shouts to him.

The man scrambles to leave quickly

"It always breaks my heart to say those words." Jack said looking over at Rose.

Tosh quickly scans the room. And then announces "Air quality's okay."

Everyone removes there gas masks, including Owen and Gwen whom have joined them.

Carys takes this advantage and runs past Gwen and heads for the back door.

"Gwen, look out!" Jack shouts.

Gwen turns but it's too late, Carys is past her, Owen though is able to stop her by dropping, something that looks like a sea shell on the ground. When the pulsating energy begins Rose knows it's one of the inflatable cell's she'd be doing research in.

But at least we stopped her.

"What's that?" Gwen asks

"It's a sort of inflatable cell. Power runs down after an hour. The battery  
life's bollocks."

"Owen, I've been doing research on those for months now. We have no idea how long that thing holds for. Been trying to figure it out." Rose said nodding to Gwen.

"Yes, who said you could use that?" Jack said, he had told Rose about Owen and Tosh taking things out of the Torchwood Hub; he had been extremely disappointed in both of them for such actions.

"Um, I just stopped a prisoner escaping." Said Owen who sounded annoyed.

"You know the rules. None of that stuff leaves the building without my  
expressed permission." Jack says who appears very angry. Rose puts her hand on his arm gently, he leans in the touch.

"Fine. Don't thank me." Owen said disgruntled

Jack steps forward and presses some buttons on his watch band. The inflatable cell  
vanishes. Gwen grabs Carys and leads her back into the living room.

"Come with us." Gwen says gently

Carys gets taken back to the Hub, both Gwen and Rose seems to be the only ones to treat her with any measure of kindness. Rose makes a mental note to explain to Jack how awful it is to not be in control of your body. Carys gets taken down to the holding cells, Owen and Tosh go back upstairs Rose waits for Jack.

Jack quickly orders Gwen to interrogate Carys

"But aren't you going to help me? I don't know what I'm doing." Gwen says surprised

"Usually better if you don't say that in front of the prisoner." Jack says, a bit amused by the rookie.

Rose walks back upstairs with Jack.

"I don't like this." Rose announces to him on the way

"Like what."

"You treated Carys like this. She's as much of victim as the man that alien gas killed."

"This is about the Cassandra thing isn't it? Rose that's a completely different situation." He said using her real name. "Carys might be dead, that alien could be all that's left."

"Or she could be trapped, knowing and understanding what her body is doing but have no way of controlling it." Rose retorted

Rose pulls her hand away from him, which she's only now realizing that he grabbed.

Finally after sometime Rose heard Owen shouts.

"Oi, you lot ... Treat!" He motioned to his monitor

The team made their way over and to Rose's shock and horror the screen showed Gwen with Carys and they were making out.

"Whoa." Owen says

"Wow." Was Jack response to the monitor.

"She said she had a boyfriend." Tosh said to Rose

"You people and your quaint little categories." Jack remarks

Owen had a grin on his face as the team watched. Rose had enough

"Come on guys we need to get here out of there."

"Yeah." Jack says absent mindedly, staring at the screen and more importantly Gwen.

"Jack." Rose shouted getting extremely annoyed at him for behaving this way, Carys was practically getting sexually assaulted and they were getting off on it.

He looks over to Rose and it starts "I mean, yeah! Come on!"

Jack and the rest of the team rush out of there to stop the Alien Carys. Rose knew that whatever was happening inside Carys it wasn't good.

**Beta-ed by:****Emilie Brown**

**To be Continued**


	9. Chapter 8 part Two

**Hey, here's chapter 8 part two. Sorry it was so late. But here it is. Hope you enjoy. Review and Follow please.**

**A Matter of Trust**

**Chapter Eight Part Two**

Rose, Jack and Tosh reach the Hub's cells to find Gwen has more control over the situation and to be on her cell phone. She gives Jack a thumbs up and he makes way for them to leave her alone. Tosh follows, Rose lingers a bit looking worried.

"Don't you think that was a bit lenient?" Rose questions.

"R… Allie, don't start again." Jack warns.

"But Jack, should we have left her alone down there." Rose counters

"Allie, stop it now." Jack says his voice holding steady.

Rose just sighs and walks to her desk. Jack watches her go, not taking his eyes off her.

When Gwen finally does appear, Rose ignores Owen's sex joke about her. Inside she is fuming.

How could Jack just let this go on? He's certainly wasn't like this on the TARDIS. He certainly never acted this cold before.

Then it hits Rose, Jack's been off the TARDIS for 200 years, he's not her Jack anymore. He was different, Rose realized that he hid it better while she was pregnant, not to upset her, but he really has changed.

It's my entire fault.

She then glares over to the Doctor's hand in a Jar,

Damn him. Abandoning Jack like that, with no explanation, Doctor I could kill you.

She finally comes to the realization that she needs to confront the Doctor about this issue, or she'll never have closure.

Rose finally see's that Gwen has Owen pushed over the rail, threatening him.

"What are you doing?! Get off me!" Owen yells

"That girl's body is being overrun by I don't know what. And you think it's a  
joke?" Gwen says forcefully, Rose's admiration for Gwen begins to grow.  
She stands up and goes over to them.  
"All right! Jesus! I'm sorry. Allie get her off." He signals to Rose

"Why?" Rose simply states

"We should be helping her. She's not some lab rat." Gwen defends herself.

"No, she's a murderer. You were the one who wanted her caught. How come  
suddenly she's your best friend?" Owen counters.

"She's not a murder, the alien is, not her." Rose tries to make clear to Owen.

Jack steps besides Rose, grabbing her hand, clearly trying to make up, rubbing his thumb on her palm.

"You know, strictly speaking, throttling the staff is my job." He says to Gwen.

Gwen stares at Owen, there's a clear tension. Then, she releases him.

Down below, Ianto appears next to Tosh. He's carrying a box of takeout. He  
smiles.

"So ... who's for Chinese?"

They start down the stairs.

At dinner, Jack is chatting away, telling all of his stories, being a bit extra flirty with Rose; a way of making up for being short with her earlier.

"And she said ... she said, "If I'd known that's what he was, I never  
would have married him!"

"She knew! She knew all along!" Rose replied happily

"She didn't care." Owen chimed in

"Until he started leaving black piles of mucus in the bathtub." Ianto replies

Jack picks up his glass and takes a drink. Gwen seems a bit lost.

JACK: Always the big giveaway. Aliens have no sense of household hygiene. This reminds me, got to pee.

Jack leaves the room. As soon as Jack's out of hearing range, Ianto, Owen and Tosh turn their  
attention to Gwen.

"So what's he told you?" Owen asks

"Owen." Rose warns she knew what they were on about.

"What about?" Gwen looks confused

"Himself!" Tosh says quickly

"Guys." Rose says but is ignored.

"You've been here longer than I have." Gwen counters

"We were banking on you! It's not like Allie will tell us anything." Tosh huffs

"Seriously, if he wants too-" but Rose is cut off.

"You're a copper, trained to ask questions." Owen response

"You don't know anything? What about you Allie, you know him right."

"Let's just say Jack and I have a mutual friend, actually I introduced the two, and well we met around the same time." Rose rambled a bit

"We don't know who he is, not where he's from. Nothing, except him being gay."

"No, he's not. Really, do you think?" Gwen says looking at Rose.

"No. Owen does. I don't."

"Why is everything so cut and dry, with you people?" Rose says rolling her eyes, 21st century humans she thought.

"And I don't care."

"Good for you Ianto." Rose congratulated him

"Period military is not the dress code of a straight man." Owen says

"I think it suits him. Sort of classic." Gwen says dreamily

"Exactly! I've watched him in action. He'll shag anything if it's gorgeous  
enough."

"Now that's the Jack I know." Rose said quietly

"We know he's from America, right?" Gwen says looking at Rose, who won't confirm it, she didn't even know where Jack was from, only that he was born on one of humanity's colonies in the 51st century.

"We don't even know that for sure." Owen claims

"No US citizen by the name of Jack Harkness born in the last fifty years." Tosh says, she had looked into it Rose knew.

"Maybe his identity's classified." Gwen ponders as picks up a chip and nibbles on it.

"Used to be something big in the CIA. That's what I reckon."

"He must have his reasons for wanting to keep things secret." Gwen says

"Sure he has. Doesn't stop me wanting to know what they are." Owen says. "And you won't share will you." He looks at Rose

"If Jack wants too he'd tell you, he's got his reasons. I know that man better then all of you but even I don't know everything. But the first time I met him, he saved my life, didn't even know me and he saved me. I trust him and you guys have to as well. We can't function without it here." Rose said

Just then the team hears the sound of a woman moaning,

Carys, Rose thought.

Owen turned the monitor and they watch as Carys curls herself up sobbing, Rose's heart breaks for her and she bites her lips to stop crying, she remembers the voice of woman taunting her in her own head. She sees Jack return.

"What are we doing having Chinese while a girl fights for her life?" Gwen asks

She asks the right question, Rose silently remembering a different time, a fresher time.

"Actually, while we've been eating, the computers have been running a full  
bio-scan on Carys, profiling her blood, metabolism, organs, skin, and the works. So we can see  
what effect the alien's having on her. They've also been taking samples of the air in the  
cell so we can analyze any changes in the environment around her. Now, is that enough? Do  
you want more? Cos, uh, it gets kind of boring." Jack said

"You've been hiding down here too long. Spending so much time with the alien  
stuff, you've lost what it means to be human."

Rose wants to get up and defend Jack but, part of her thinks Gwen's right, they spend too much time down here, these people don't have families or lives.

If it wasn't for mum and Lex I'd be in the same boat.

"So remind us. Tell me what it means to be human in the 21st century." Jack counters.

"All right." Gwen accepting his challenge

As Gwen is working, Rose and Jack clean up.

"So we going to talk about earlier?" Jack ponders when the rest of the team is out of ear shot.

"Are we?" Is all Rose will say.

"Look, I know how much this case upsets you. You told me what Cassandra did, but Rose. Cassandra didn't kill anyone while she was you." Jack said

"And would you think me a murder if I she had?" Rose asked

"No never…"

"Then Carys isn't…"

"I know she isn't, but right now she isn't Carys… she's an alien, a thing. I swear to you that I'll do whatever it takes to protect that girl." Jack says grabbing her arm.

"She's being violated in her own body; she can understand what's going on and have no control over it. That thing is going through her thoughts, her emotions, and her memories. It's the worst thing to ever have happen to you." Rose said shaking.

"Here sit down." Jack said offering her a chair.

Rose bit back a sob, remembering the feeling of Cassandra being in her head.

"The Doctor, he was no help, didn't even talk about it, he ran the sonic over my head to make sure there was no damage but I wasn't alright… for weeks I had nightmares… It was awful, I sometimes still do. To be a prisoner in your own body and have someone else control your movements. Cassandra might not have killed anyone personally but her actions lead to the death of people in that hospital and she did so with my body. People died because of it." Rose ranted and rambled, Jack could barely hear her

"You can't blame yourself." It was all he said, kneeling down beside her.

"I know, I know it wasn't my fault. But Jack that doesn't make it any better. Carys knows that she isn't at fault; she knows it wasn't her but she still feels horrible. Seeing her on that screen, it… it broke my heart."

Jack cups her cheek

"I promise I'll help her. Calm down, go home…"

"No, I'll…"

"Go home and kiss that son of yours. That's an order Gardner." He says lightly.

Rose does as he asks and goes home. She starts to feel a little better. She had told Jack the truth; she never did deal with the guilt Cassandra left behind. Yes they had saved the day, but so many had died, all she could do was watch in her own head. She sees Lex's little face in his cradle and she smiles to herself, she reaches out to the puff of blond hair on the top of his head.

I certainly am blessed.

Her Mum rants a little about her already eating. Mum goes off to rest when, she was just getting done with Lex's feeding when she hears her phone.

"Carys is gone." She hers Jack voice.

"What how."

"She escaped and she had the Jar, Allie, THE JAR." He says quietly, she knows he's around people right now.

"Is it safe?" Was Rose's first question, nothing was more important than that Jar, one drop of his blood and they could change the course of human history.

"Yes I made sure, but Carys has escaped."

"I'm coming in; I'll be there in a few." Rose said

"No, Rose…" But Rose hung up the phone she needed to see that jar, make sure it was safe. She tells her mum, she understands but see's disappointment creep up on her face. She hugs her before leaving.

She comes into the Hub to find Jack standing next to the Jar, it looks normal.

"It's safe. No damage?" Rose asks

"It appears to be undamaged." Jack said and Owen gives them a strange look.

Rose pulls Jack aside.

"You need keep that safer, one single cell, one strand of DNA could change the course of human history." Rose said fiercely

"I know that, look I'm sorry. But safe, no damage done."

"Yea for now." Rose muttered

Jack shot her a look.

"Look, we focus on finding Carys."

"Yes." Rose agreed.

**Beta-ed by:****Emilie Brown**

**To be Continued **


End file.
